at Drury Lane Theatre, he savagely attacked and
wounded a gentleman, and was fined for so doing
the sum of £500 by the Court of Queen's Bench.
He attacked watchmen, insulted anyone who crossed
his humour in the least degree, committed all kinds
of violence, till his name became a terror, and he was
involved in first one quarrel and then in another.
His irritable and ungovernable temper at length
brought about fatal consequences to himself He had
been acquainted with a Mrs. Simmons. He was told
that a Captain Best had reported to her a bit of
scandal relative to himself. This so incensed his
lordship, that on March 6th, 1804, meeting with Best
at a coffee-house, he went up to him, and in the
hearing of everyone called him "a scoundrel, a liar,
and a ruffian." A challenge followed, and the
meeting was fixed for the next morning. The
seconds having ascertained the occasion of Lord
Camelford's wrath, Best declared himself ready to
apologise, and to retract any words that had given
offence which he had used to Mrs. Simmons, but his
lordship refused to accept such an apology, Agreeably to an appointment made by the seconds, Lord
Camelford and the captain met early next morning
at a coffee-house in Oxford Street, where Captain
Best made another effort to prevail on Lord Camelford to make up the quarrel and to withdraw the
expressions he had addressed to him in public. To
all remonstrance he replied, "Let it go on."
Accordingly both mounted their horses and took the road to Kensington, followed by their seconds in a post-chaise. On their arrival at the "Horse and
